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Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011 3-litre CRD road test

Jeep effectively invented the 4WD SUV with the 1946 Station Wagon, and the premium SUV with the 1963 Wagoneer. The Cherokee followed in 1974, and the Grand Cherokee in 1992, but despite a fine heritage the all-new fourth-generation Grand Cherokee can’t afford to rest on its laurels.

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Performance

For the UK market the new Grand Cherokee is powered by a Fiat-developed, Italian-built 237bhp 3-litre turbodiesel. This delivers brisk acceleration – 0-62mph in 8.2secs – and a more than adequte126mph top speed, but its old-timer 5-speed auto is at least one ratio short of the norm these days. However, a healthy 406lb/ft of torque provides good overtaking ability and no doubt helps make it a capable tow car. Its impressive off-road capabilities are aided and abetted by the sophisticated Quadra-Trac(R)II 4WD system, the selectable Selec-Terrain system (which optimises the stability system, suspension height, diff lock settings and throttle response), and height-adjustable Quadra-Lift air suspension (on the top-spec Overland version) that provides up to 10.7 inches of ground clearance.

Ride & Handling

With the Quadra-Lift suspension the Grand Cherokee rides very comfortably on a variety of surfaces both good and not-so good. The steering requires minimal effort but doesn’t offer much feedback for the driver. Despite it’s size and weight the car can nonetheless be hustled along a twisty country road with some aplomb. Screeching around corners isn’t what it’s designed for, but most owners will think they’re travelling plenty fast enough long before the tyres start squealing. I didn’t drive the new Grand Cherokee off road, but I did follow one (in a Wrangler) around an extremely demanding, purpose-built off-road course and its capabilities have to be seen to be believed.

Build Quality & Reliability

Jeep doesn’t feature in UK JD Power satisfaction surveys, but it’s obvious that this new, Detroit-built Grand Cherokee is better made, or at least rather more carefully finished, than previous models. It’s hard to gauge how the car might fare in the medium to long term, but the leather, plastics and other finishes all appeared to be of high quality and built to last. I found nothing that fell short of a high standard, while the dash, interior and interior fitments have all thankfully been designed to appeal more to European tastes than American. Interestingly, the all-new body’s torsional stiffness is 146% better than the previous Grand Cherokee for improved durability and reduced NVH.

Safety & Security

There’s no EuroNCAP star rating yet, (the last being a respectable 4-stars in 2005), but the new model did collect a ‘Top Safety Pick’ award from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – the highest rating the organization bestows. The Grand Cherokee also features the most comprehensive line of safety and security systems ever offered on a Jeep, including: active head restraints, multi-stage airbags (inc. side curtain and side thorax bags), ABS with rough road detection, belt alert, blind-spot monitoring, brake assist, brake override, ready alert braking, rain brake support, electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, forward collision warning, hill start assist, hill descent control, rear park assist with camera, roll-over crash sensing, tyre pressure monitoring, trailer sway control, keyless enter and go with engine immobiliser and more.

Space & Practicality

It may be 7cm longer, 6.8cm wider with a 13cm-longer wheelbase, but those extra dimensions aren’t immediately obvious in the interior, which seems no more capacious, if as capacious as before. That said, it’s more than adequately roomy and comfy for normal family duties, while the max rear cargo volume is actually 11% greater than the previous model – 782 litres with rear seats up, 1,554 litres with rear seat folded flat. A fold-flat front-passenger seat is standard on both Limited and Overland versions, as are 60/40 fold-flat reclining second-row seats. Ventilated (cooled) seats are standard on the higher-spec Overland model. And, being American, there’s no shortage of cup holders.

Ownership & Value

The new Grand Cherokee goes on sale in the UK in mid June 2011, and at the time of writing prices had yet to be confirmed, although expect the lower-spec Limited 3.0 CRD Limited to sell at a competitive £37,000 or thereabouts. Those in the market for a big SUV probably aren’t overly concerned by such matters, the combined fuel figure is 34mpg with CO2 at 218g/km, which means VED tax band K, or £580 for the first year and £260 thereafter. Although both variants are well equipped, Overland owners get an intuitive satnav, media and comms system, a panoramic sunroof, a powered tailgate, 8-way powered leather front seats with piping, 20” alloys and much, much more, but both come with a lot of style and a big measure of Jeep coolness.

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